Secrets of Successful Graphic Designers

The graphic design industry is notoriously difficult to break into. Young designers usually have to work themselves into the ground before moving up a notch to middle-weight positions. The highly prized status of heavy-weight often seems illusive and completely out of reach.

Those who are able to put senior designer after their name belong to a coveted club, which allows access to the best clients, and the most respected status. These senior designers know that they bring a sought-after value to the table and they command a paycheck to match.

How does one attain this Holy Grail of graphic design success? Here are some answers.

They work smart, not hard

According to NY-based graphic designer Roberto Blake, senior designers leave lesser mortals in the dust when it comes to time. An established designer can knock out a project at lightening speed, as they fully understand the concept of time is money. Senior designers use all the keyboard shortcuts and they know various design programmes like the back of their hand.

They don’t waste time doing repetitive tasks and they are extremely efficient. They also have an ability to use their software almost intuitively, as years of experience have taught them what works and what doesn’t.

They have a library

Not containing books, but consisting of various digital assets. According to Roberto Blake, senior designers have instant access to thousands of images, fonts and brushes. It takes years to build a decent library, but having one eliminates the need to scour photo stock websites or to mull over which font to download.

Experienced designers have usually created their own resources, so there are no copyright issues. A successful designer will have all their resources organised and referenced, so that they can be accessed in a flash.

They know Design

Many of today’s senior designers have been in the business for over 20 years, and design has changed dramatically over this time period. These designers would have started out using the very basics, cutting pieces of paper and pasting their designs onto it. Successful designers know the nuts and bolts of design and they are able to translate them onto a computer screen. They know all about colour theory, typography, and texture and how the human eye scans a page. They know it because they have an intimate knowledge of what design is and their graphic creations are like works of art.

You can start implimenting these ideas now, like getting to know your design software inside and out, reading up about design theory and building a digital library. There’s no denying that becoming a successful designer takes many years of hard work. However, by following these pointers, your graphic design path will eventually lead to that prized senior status.